Scent Work and Puppies

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We know scent is important for our dogs, but for our puppies it can be a matter of life and death.

If you’ve ever witnessed a litter of newborn puppies, you’ll notice their eyes are shut tight and they don’t respond to sound, technically they are blind and deaf at birth; at least in a functional way (1).

As a predator species our dogs are born underdeveloped and highly dependent on parental care so that brains and sensory organs can be protected as they finish developing. This contrasts with many prey species such as a rabbit or deer who’s young needs to be able to avoid being eaten as soon as they come out into the world.

So, our puppies live in a silent, dark world for the first few days… but it’s not a world without sensation. Their one superpower sense is switched on from day one.

Born blind and deaf – but built to scent…

Puppies are born with their nose working and sense of smell fully functioning all so that at this vulnerable age, they can seek out the warmth and milk from their mother. You can see this as puppies “swim” and sweep their heads side-to-side to pick up scent and locate their mother. 

Their fully functioning Jacobson’s organ (vomeronasal organ) helps detect their mothers appeasing pheromone as a unique maternal odour used to encourage bonding, calmness and act as a predictor of all the good things life has to offer at this stage, safety, food and comfort (2). Remarkably, a newborn pup placed between two lactating mother dogs will use its nose to sniff out and crawl to its own mother as it’s learnt to associate the particular scent with a reward, and seek it out. Puppies are able to use their nose to learn about their environment at this age and form an olfactory map of what is around them, their environment, their family and all of the signature scents associated. In animal behaviour, this is called olfactory imprinting (1).

So, what does this have to do with scent detection? Well in short, a puppy’s nose knows. From being hours old this tiny canine is born with a prime directive: “follow that smell!”, and it’s this notion that stays with them for the rest of their lives. It’s one of their earliest and most important life lessons.

Scenting is what maintains, sustains and protects our dogs, it shapes them in the best of ways by working and developing brain function, behaviour and confidence.

By using scent work as an outlet for our dogs, we continue to creates powerful memories with them, one's we can harness in life, for socialisation and to promote well rounded responses and behaviours. We use it to give dogs a natural outlet that enriches both body and mind, as through the act of searching, odour discrimination, and problem-solving we promote their welfare, challenge their brains and increase fitness.

It’s much more than a just a physical workout, it’s an emotional regulator helping dogs relax and find true fulfilment for better wellbeing and welfare.

That’s why scent work is one of the most enriching activities we can do with our dogs. From a pup’s first tiny steps toward milk to the adult dog solving odour puzzles in a scent detection search, following flowing scent in trailing or picking the correct footprint in tracking; a dog’s nose is its superpower and scent work is how we let them use it.

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References: 1. Jones, A.C., 2007. Sensory development in puppies (Canis lupus f. familiaris): implications for improving canine welfare. Animal Welfare, 16(3), pp.319-329.

2. Vázquez, E.S., Ortiz-Leal, I., Torres, M.V., Kalak, P., Kubiak-Nowak, D., Dzięcioł, M. and Sanchez-Quinteiro, P., 2024. The incisive duct as a pathway for early vomeronasal communication in neonatal dogs. biorxiv, pp.2024-06.

3. Jelínková, L. and Havlíček, J., 2021, November. Early Olfactory Learning in Mammals: A Case of Imprinting?. In Symposium of Chemical Signals in Vertebrates (pp. 273-303). Cham: Springer International Publishing.